Book Spotlight: The Wayfaring Widow

Do you love novels that let you travel with the characters? How about characters based on real people from history? Well, Casey Cline has woven her latest novel around a very interest real person, and the sneak peek she gives us today is definitely moving this book up higher on my TBR (it was already going to be read this month, anyway). See what you think.

In my historical romance novel, The Wayfaring Widow, widow Victoria Clarke is on an ill-fated trip through some of America’s largest cities in 1854 with declared bachelor, Harrison Wright. Only the third member of their party, mutual friend (and real-life English explorer) Isabella Bird, keeps the two from constantly being at each other’s throats.
After visiting Boston, Chicago, and Detroit, with each destination presenting its own excitements (and terrors), the trio next travels aboard the Mayflower steamship across Lake Erie to Buffalo, New York.

​I weave much of Isabella’s first-hand account of the steamer into The Wayfaring Widow, including the ship’s opulent Gothic design, numerous spittoons, and culinary delights (vanilla ice cream, anyone?) Also included is the truly treacherous crossing of Lake Erie that night.
Turbulent though the overnight journey was in real life, it did much in my fictional tale to bring Harrison and Victoria closer. I won’t share any major spoilers, but I will give you a brief snippet of how a competing female, a grizzled old sea captain, and a waltz have much to do with this pivotal moment in Harrison and Victoria’s romance.
“Harrison’s gaze connected with hers from across the room, and she startled, dropping her gaze. He’d caught her staring. She’d only met his eyes briefly, too short a time to decipher how he felt about having a woman such as Miss Jameson in his arms.
Her whole body flushed hot. Whether from embarrassment at being caught gawking, or from the crush of bodies in the room, or from the lingering heat of Captain Delany’s liquid courage, she needed cool air. Immediately.
She stood and exited through the double glass doors of the saloon and into the refreshing early October air, heaving a sigh of relief that the deck was empty. She made her way to the railing. The water churned and splashed below in a constant clash with the Mayflower’s wooden hull.
“Victoria, are you all right?”
She’d know that voice anywhere. Slowly, she pivoted.
Harrison stood several feet away as if he knew she wanted space. He tried to catch her gaze, but she won out this time, averting her eyes to the wooden planks of the Mayflower’s deck. She didn’t need to remind him of her blemishes when he had just been looking upon the youthful, flawless face of Miss Jameson.
“Quite all right, Harrison.” Her voice quavered only slightly. “I thank you for your concern, but as you can see,” she gestured with her hands, “I’m all in one piece. You may return to dancing with Miss Jameson now.”
…
She made to turn around, but stopped when Harrison cleared his throat and said, “A woman with a keen mind is far more attractive to me.”
She all but scoffed. Yes, just the way to make herself more becoming in his eyes.
Harrison stepped closer and continued, “and one with courage and pluck.”
Another step closer and her traitorous heart thumped harder. He was within arm’s reach now. “And one who cares deeply for others. And helps them selflessly.”
A final step and they were toe to toe. Her breath came in deep, uneven puffs, her heart all but hammering out of her chest now.
His scent hung in the air, heady and far more intoxicating than the liquid in Captain Delaney’s flask.”
I should probably stop here before too much is revealed, but hopefully this teaser piques your interest in The Wayfaring Widow and the real woman from history—Isabella Bird—who is captured within its pages. Oh, and if you want to see what the Mayflower looked like and learn how it met its (untimely) demise shortly after Isabella’s visit, you can read more about it here.

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The Wayfaring Widow

To escape her grievous past and avoid her bleak future, twenty-eight-year-old widow Victoria Clarke joins her friend, Isabella Bird, on a once-in-a-lifetime journey from England to America in 1854. But Harrison Wright, the man acting as escort to the women on their journey, is cold and gruff, and his mannerisms conjure up the pains of Victoria’s past, especially her former husband’s mistreatment. Victoria doubles the defenses of her already fragile heart, but will it be enough to endure what she now feels is an ill-fated expedition?

Twenty-nine-year-old New York lawyer, Harrison Wright, has made a promise to his friend, Isabella Bird, to escort her around his home country. And unlike his father, Harrison keeps his promises. Since Harrison has sworn off women due to his own troubled past, he is not pleased Victoria will be joining the trip. But as a declared bachelor, he’s built an impenetrable safeguard around his own heart that should withstand a few weeks in this other woman’s company.

As the trio explores Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Niagara Falls, and New York City, surviving fires, disreputable innkeepers, sickness, and storms, Victoria and Harrison are loathe to find that they cannot avoid each other’s company. But in such close proximity, will Victoria and Harrison’s initial flared tempers lead to even stronger and more unavoidable feelings about each other? Feelings that have them questioning whether their journey will have the most unlikely of destinations: love and healing—and happily ever after—with each other?

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 Casey Cline collects hobbies and pursuits as quickly as she reads books. She likes to believe her degrees and licenses in business, law, and real estate aren’t entirely incongruous with writing historical stories about the ultimate adventure in life—love. Casey lives in Nebraska with her husband, two daughters, and three cats. You can connect with Casey on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Tiktok. ​

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